Pastor's letter shows ignorance and intolerance

It is evident that the Rev. Gary Click needed further research and internal reflection before submitting his letter to the editor titled "Disappointed with Sen. Portman" (Nov. 9) as his article is strewn with misinformation and intolerance. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act doesn't discriminate against Christianity for the sake of the "special rights agenda of the homosexual lobby," as he suggests. What ENDA does is prohibit discrimination in hiring and firing practices on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity by employers with at least 15 employees.

The Rev. Click cites examples of business owners who would be forced to employ an individual who does not represent the businesses "hometown" values. Nowhere does ENDA say that you must hire someone who is LGBT. Should it pass the House, business owners will still have the right to contract services with anyone they so choose. The language simply states that you cannot refuse to hire (or fire) said individual simply because they are LGBT. Furthermore, Section 6 states "ENDA's religious exemption creates a 100 percent match with the number of religious organizations that also qualify for the religious exemption in Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act." ENDA's drafters recognized that religious liberty is one of our nation's founding principles. The bill protects First Amendment religious freedom rights of churches to come to whatever conclusion they wish about LGBT people.

You are more than welcome to have and practice the religious freedoms allowed to you by the founding fathers. But you are not welcome to use those beliefs to discriminate against LGBT Americans who are trying to live their American dream and who have the very same Constitutional rights as you. I applaud Sen. Portman's vote, and I would encourage like-minded citizens to contact his office and kindly thank him for doing so.

Russell R. Exlos-Raber

Fremont

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Pastor's letter shows ignorance and intolerance

It is evident that the Rev. Gary Click needed further research and internal reflection before submitting his letter to the editor titled 'Disappointed with Sen. Portman' (Nov. 9) as his article is